Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking BenjaminShallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin Deluxe Edition [Clean]Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin Deluxe Edition [Explicit]Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin [Explicit]

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General Commentthis is trully an increadiable song, i got a little-kid boner when i first heard it. BB is an amazing band and the dynamics of this song prove that they are trully talented.
i'm not really sure what it's about though, most of BB's lyrics are primarily vague so i guess to me the person in the song witnessing a kind of end of the world senario. To me, i imagine that the author leaves behind whatever is going on in the world and seeks solice in this case, a woman.
"show me how defenseless you really are" is his way of asking her to open up and really let him see what is inside because he is "empth inside" then the "That's alright, Let's give this another try" is the woman failing to allow an intimacy yet wanting to try again later on.
the part 'Your so cold, but you feel alive. Lay your hand on me on last time" really gets me. It's the highlight of the song and i think it says alot about it's content: This person is very numb or unfeeling to the point of actually feeling cold and still the songwriter requests one last touch, even if it is cold.
basically: i think this song is about putting up with someone who may be scarred or emotionally unavaliable and yet, you'd crave them all the same.

I think that's a good meaning for the song. although, I feel this song speaks to me to open up to other people, because I am like the woman in the song. I expect people to open up to me, tell me their problems, and let me help them, but i refuse to do the same. I am a girl, too, so that makes it jump out at me even more. I like to help people, and I can offer a warm hand, but when they ask how or why, I clam up, and my warmth becomes like ice... but nobody seems to mind. I think as long as you can provide some small amount of emotion, it really is alright, and you should try again later. If someone were kind enough, and persistant enough, I would come through for them. and I always produce some sort of emotion at the appropriate times.

I think the song is describing the Spanish Inquisition. Thousands of innocent people were executed by the Catholic Church, many families were devestated and torn apart. "Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one" describes once thriving populations dwindling due to persecution and prejudice. "Hollow heroes separate, as they run" describes "souless" Jews who resisted Queen Isabel, Archbishop Pedro Gonzales de Mendoza and Pope Sixtus IV's forced conversion efforts. "You're so cold but you feel alive, lay your hand on me one last time" could be describing an imprisoned "Crypto-Jew" who is awaiting torture and execution at the burning stake, speaking to his loved-one who had decided to bow to the Church and convert. The loved one is so cold because giving up one's culture is like losing one's internal flame. "Wise men wonder while strong men die" is describing the "Wise" leaders of the Church and the Monarchy, pondering the actions to be taken, causing strong-willed martyrs of Judaism to die. "Show me how it ends it's alright" describes the sentenced heretics' decision to remain faithful to their god and their beliefs. They are willing martyrs. "Show me how defenseless you really are, satisfied and empty inside, that's alright, let's give this another try" describes the Church's inability to snuff out the existence of the persecuted religions and their steadfast followers. The executors of the Inquisition are satisfied with their evil efforts, believing themselves in control of the people, yet the resistance will always give freedom of belief and expression another try.

quoting cyanide, the feeling is that is talking to someone somehow scared and "cold" but still "alive" and perhaps someone important to the "speaker".
the first two lines makes me think at a setting, a background for the rest of the scene.
they are running, and most of them separate from other, the speaker remains with the "cold person" and try to save and be saved (perhaps emotionally "lay your hand on me" even if "you are so cold").

I've put up with someone like he is describing for years. In the end however, after he sings the "Lay your hand on me one last time", I believes he means it for the last time. After so long time of remaining there for someone who will not reach out, you let them go eventually because you have to. You're dead too a little when every time you hold their hand. It's a way of loving someone enough to walk into hell for another, putting yourself in harm’s way to show them the love you feel they deserve and making an attempt to pull out.

A lot of people have been truly introduces to their true love. But there's an innate sense when you do. Feel it in your chest, in your heart, down to the very core of your very fiber. It's as if they are with you in spirit. Most people interpret the action was stupid and weak. You and that person are the only one to know what's happening. However, that's what makes your connection so special. It is not that a person is weak, at least when true love is apparent, it's that you felt enough for them to make the attempt to show them that you are actually the strongest person they will ever know. Refusing to leave someone's "side" is letting them know that you feel them and their pain and that they are not alone and that even though they cannot trust anyone that they can trust and count on you. As such, you don't leave their side, because someone needed not to, if even just once in their life.

Of course for people with these issues, you may uplift them inside, but they need to have to want and desire to get off it, see what's right in from of them (what they've always long for), and just believe in something. The ones who wait not only long for that person, but most importantly their happiness. The ones who wait and cut you all the breaks (because no one else ever had and whether they know it or not, they act of this comes from deep and sincere love, which by the end grows into unconditional love) become stronger as they let you go, understanding that choosing death and darkness and also the loss of such a deep love will break their heart and forever change them at the core, they will still let them go with unwavering and unconditional love, "Show me how it ends, it's alright. Show me how defenseless you really are. Satisfied and empty inside. That's alright. Let's give this another try. (Allowing the other to die in peace, along with their false burdens). It's alright, it's alright, and it’s alright".
As you will notice, he doesn't say let's give it another try at the end. He allowed her to show him how it ends and she did. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Sorry for all the grammatical errors. I don't think as clearly as I typically do when expressing such overpowering emotions. It actually cause a strain for me to feel for this person. Hope you get the point. OuttyFive! :)

@cyanide2060 No. He watched 28 Days Later and this song is about how someone would feel if someone they loved turned into a zombie. You would be torn between "They're dead" and "They feel alive enough." I'm pretty sure Breaking Benjamin confirmed this at some point.

General CommentWell, I don't think it's quite as complicated as you guys seem to think...

When i listen i'm getting the holocaust out of this.

Crowded streets are cleared away
One by one
(hitlers forces)
Hollow heroes separate
As they run
You're so cold, Keep your
hand in mine
(self explanitory)
Wise men wonder while
strong men die
(people cannot understand the mentality behind the persecution)

Show me how it ends, it's alright
Show me how defenseless you really are
Satisfied and empty inside
That's alright
Lets give this another try
(people reasuring eachother that it will be okay and stating hitler had to be mentally and emotionally defenseless, essentially challenging him)

If you find your family,
Don't you cry
(reassurance or potentially warning a person of the horror)
In this land of make believe,
Dead and dry
(germany, potentially a camp like Auschwitz)
You're so cold
but you feel alive
(people terrified prior to execution)
Lay your hand on me
One last time
(perhaps a final goodbye to a loved one prior to execution.

and just repeat chorus from here. again, i think this is a pretty powerful song, but definitly cut and dry explanatory.

General CommentFirst off, it's "wise men wonder while strong men die" not "while stuck in time"

I love this song, makes me think of someone, but here's what I get out of it.

This seems to be almost apocalyptic, sort of like... false heroes, but they don't have it in them. But I like to think of it more as metaphoric- our world, right now. How most people are so empty, stupid, not real. Pawns of society, so to speak. The hollow heroes are people who could have been real, but failed to survive as their own person.

My favorite line is "You're so cold but you feel alive" It's awesome. I think that in this world, where so many of us are untrue to ourselves (sorry to turn this into a philosophy) and the only real way to get ahead is to shove all that down... he's the real person, and he loves a girl, and this girl has been pretending to be part of society for so long that she's cold, just like it... but he knows she's alive, or real, and he wants to rip her away from the world she's in (in this land of make-believe, dead and dry), and make her show him how she's not that invincible and unemotional robot that society is (show me how defenseless you really are).

The strong men dying means like, the person who lives for himself (you know, like Emerson) can't live in our world because it's too hard, so they 'die'. The wise men wondering part... well... what do wise men do but wonder? :P

Anyways, I just love this song. I hope people got what I was saying... :)

Wise men wonder - A man is wise to give in to himself, not society, or for the love of material envy. So a wise man will wonder (think deeply) about what will truly make him happy, not accepted. This is the wise move.

Strong men die - Men are taught in this society, that in order to be strong and "make it", they will have to ignore their true selves that scream inside their cold body. To ignore their heart and forget about realizing true happiness. A fake it till you make it move which usually ends in someone that will just cut themselves off and die inside long before their physical selves do. This is not a wise move.

Problem with our society is that its processing reminds too much of communism- there are only a handful of molds for each sex that the majority of other individuals will understand and accept/respect. We are all broken down or kept immature to the point where we are served perfectly into a specific role. Made ants... To a certain extent- this is healthy, but ignorance of design also sees this mechanic hit those that are especially creative and may make them turn on society rather than join in- rightfully so.

Most of us are incredibly retarded on a mental plane and fail to justify the vast potential of our systems to lack such fundamental insights of how social and advanced creatures we really are... People can't be exactly the same; so in my opinion they shouldn't even have to waste efforts trying. It's not even genetically possible. Our current setup requires some form of deeper dimension for grating. I am sorry, but not everyone is fully worthy to make a stand on their own either- atleast not yet. First we have to fully automatize (let robots do all work) our base industries. I am no politician, so I don't have to lie up your faces with what I think. Though we are on our way :p

You have to be an incredibly strong person just to fend off the attacks from others in the everyday for 20+ years straight and prevail. I happen to be one of those rare individuals, but I have only met like one-two other in my entire life... Fortunately one of them was a girl, so there is hope for you guys! :)
Maybe she can teach you what humans are really like.

That is SO TRUE! I really think Breaking Benjamin don't care about the money. I think they just want their music to be heard. Because time and time again each of their CDs come out on sale for like $9.99.

Anyway, I believe this song sums up life.

"If you find your family,
Don't you cry
In this land of make believe,
Dead and dry"

This line talks about how this world is nothing more then a dream so don't cry when you see how cold everyone has gotten. That people just need to stop, and start caring about other people. We need to all just make it through!

This world is truly gotten cold. Ask yourself this... how many times when you heard about people dying in the name of religion in the East and you hear...
"Well, that's life."

Children impoverished and suffering on the streets.
"Well, that's life."

A banking corporation rips your money off with its fines based on policies of greed
"Well, that's life."

I'm sorry, but this world is falling apart. The sad thing, is people are getting used to it. And now we have Prozac, and a dozen or so other drugs designed to numb you and completely override your emotions.

The only reason I came up with this summation of this song is largely because this is how my family is. My mom is so medicated and numb from the abuse of her life that she doesn't even know how she feels anymore.

I think you're right. this world is going to hell. but I believe that perhaps, with your mom, and others like her, perhaps she only doesn't want to show emotion in front of other people. I know I am that way. I only show emotion in front of animals or an empty room. other than that, the only 3 emotions I show in front of other humans are happiness, anger (and that only when it's really bad, like someone threatening my friends), and irritation when I am about to get really pissed. other than that, I either fake my emotions, or I just hide them altogether... and yet I'm not numb...

Hey, asshole, I'm on anti-depressants. If I wasn't, I'd be dead. Anti-depressants serve a purpose and when you say shit like they "numb" you, that just pisses me off because I feel it's quite to contrary. I feel numb and alone when I'm not on my meds. If you don't need them then good for you, but don't look down upon people who are on them because they have mental issues.

Well "SOFTYFTW" maybe u should start thinking about why society wants you to take drugs that alter your mind when u feel depressed instead of asking why u feel that way and how we can fix it (without drugs!).

You post is exactly what this song is about, people not caring and just taking the ez way and not helping each other and understand what other people are going thru.

Just saw that the post was very old so I hope you are doing fine now :)

Song Meaningthe lyrics remind me of a book i just got done reading by a gal named Hillary Frank tittled "I can't tell you". About a college boy who fights with his best friend (now ex-friend) and decides to stop speaking all together and only communicate through passing notes. In the process he falls for a long time female friend named Xandra (Alexandra) and learns what it truelly means to be "just firends".

General Commentthis song is about that something you crave the most..
that one thing you love but hate at the same time.. i mean it doesn't have to be about a girl.. nor heroin!
everybody's got that something/someone.. a reason.. a subject. that subject is the only thing capable of hurting you.. and nothing else. you're left to wonder why the heck would you love the only thing that's killing you? that's giving you heartaches? the only thing that makes you weak? it's sick.. but you love that pain.. and you'd like to believe that you are capable of hurting that subject as well 'show me how defenseless you really are' but you choose not you.. there are so many things left to say but i better keep it short.. lol
Benjamin Burnley is LOVE.